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Mountain West to eliminate some postseason tournaments, make other budget cuts

Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune USU celebrates their second goal of the game to clinch it versus Utah. Utah State beat Utah 2-0 in women's soccer at Utah, Friday, September 18, 2015.

The Mountain West is eliminating postseason tournaments in baseball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s soccer and shortening other postseason events.

At the end of the conference’s virtual spring meetings, the Mountain West announced Monday several cost-cutting measures, including an 18% reduction in operating budget.

The conference will reduce baseball and softball series from three days to two, playing a doubleheader on one day. In men’s basketball, the 12-team Mountain West teams will be allowed to schedule a second non-Division I opponent.

In women’s volleyball, a 16-match modified double round robin schedule will be used instead of the current 18-match slate.

Conference champions and NCAA tournament representatives will be determined by regular-season results in sports where postseason tournaments are eliminated.

Postseason championships in swimming, diving, indoor and outdoor track and field and golf will also be reduced in length or modified.

The Mountain West conference will also use virtual meetings and virtual football and basketball media days.